Energy saving improved tire

ABSTRACT

An improved tire provides an air-flow restrictor that may be installed inside a tire. The air-flow restrictor may restrict or prevent the flow of air in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the tire. Also, a method for saving fuel by inserting or retrofitting tires with air movement restricting inserts.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/071,335, filed Mar. 4, 2005, which claims priority of U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/572,754, filed May 21, 2004.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an improved tire. In particular, itrelates to tires that may reduce internal friction and/or heat which mayresult in decreased drag and/or increased life of the tire.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional tires used for transportation, bicycles, or otherrecreational vehicles and the like generate considerable friction whenthe tire is in motion. Some of this friction is caused by the flow offluids such as air inside an air filled tire.

For example, when a hollow air filled tire rotates, the air inside thetire rotates or flows in a direction opposite the direction of motion.As a result, significant friction is generated within the tire. Thisfriction can cause drag opposite the direction of motion. This drag inturn causes the efficiency of the tire as well as the life of the tireto be reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an embodiment, the present invention provides an air-flow restrictorthat may be installed inside a tire. The air-flow restrictor mayrestrict or prevent the flow of air in the direction opposite to thedirection of rotation of the tire.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example,and not limitation, in the accompanying figures in which like referencesmay denote similar elements or different elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a wheel assembly 100 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of another view of the wheel assembly 100 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a wheel assembly 110 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of another view of the wheel assembly 110 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a wheel assembly 120 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of another view of the wheel assembly 120 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a wheel assembly 130 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of another view of the wheel assembly 130 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of an air restrictor in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of an air restrictor and a retention collar inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of an air restrictor in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram of an air restrictor in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 13A and 13B are diagrams of a wheel assembly 140 in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 14A and 14B are diagrams of a wheel assembly 150 in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 15A and 15B are diagrams of a wheel assembly 160 in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are diagrams of a wheel assembly 88 in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 17A and 17B are diagrams of a wheel assembly 76 in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An embodiment of the present invention provides an improved tire inwhich an air-flow restrictor such as a diaphragm, wall, barricade,spheres (or other shapes) or the like may be used to substantially,partially or fully stop the air or fluid circulation inside the tire. Inan embodiment of the invention, the air restrictor may restrict orprevent the flow of air or fluid in the direction opposite to thedirection of rotation of the tire. Thus when the air flow is restricted,the air may move substantially, fully or partially in the same directionas the direction of motion of the tire. This results in reduced frictionand/or heat inside the air cavity of the tire. In an embodiment of thepresent invention, the reduced friction and/or heat inside the tire mayimprove the efficiency of the tire and/or may increase the life of thetire.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 showsa wheel assembly 100 which includes wheel rim 8 and tire 5. As can beseen in FIG. 1, the wheel assembly 100 is moving in direction 2 with theshown rotation 9. The rotation direction 3 of the air inside the tire isin the opposite direction of the rotation 9 of the assembly 100. Thisrotation direction 3 of the internal air is in part caused by the weightof a vehicle or the like which causes a deflection 12 where the tire 5contacts the road surface. The resulting force moment 7 may initiate therotation 3 of the air inside the tire 5. The rotation direction 3 of theair inside the tire 5 in part may cause friction 4 to build up insidethe tire 5.

In an embodiment of the present invention, one or more retention collars6 may be installed or may be built into the assembly 100. The retentioncollars may be made of any type of material such as a polymer, plastic,rubber, organic or the like, or any combination thereof. Moreover, it isrecognized that the retention collars may be made from any type materialsuch as a metal, alloy, polymer, or the like, or any combinationthereof. The retention collars 6 may be made of any type of flexible,rigid and/or semi-flexible material. The retention collars may beattached in the assembly 100 using, for example, contact cement, glue,welds, staples, nails, and/or by any other means.

Although the rim 8 is shown in the FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, it is recognizedthat the retention collars 6 may be installed exclusively inside thetire 5. Thus, no attachment to the rim may be needed. In anotherembodiment, attachment to the rim may be possible for mounting.

FIG. 2 is another view of the assembly 100 shown in FIG. 1, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows thetire 5, rim 8 and one or more retention collars 6. The retention collars6 may be used to retain or secure air-flow restrictors which restrictthe air flow (described below in more detail), in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. It is recognized that other variations ofretention collars may be used. It is also recognized that the airrestrictors may be installed without the use of retention collars byusing other techniques or ways of securing the air restrictors.

FIG. 3 shows a wheel assembly 110 in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention. The assembly 110 shown in FIG. 3 includes adevice or object for restricting the flow of air inside the tire 5. Forexample, the device for restricting the flow of air within the tire 5may be a diaphragm, membrane or any other device or object that does notallow air to permeate through, thus restricting the flow of air insidethe tire.

An object or device for restricting the flow of air is genericallyreferred to herein as “air restrictor.” Unless otherwise stated, the airrestrictor may refer to any of the devices disclosed herein forrestricting air-flow inside the tire and any variations thereof. It isrecognized that, when the tire is in rotational motion, the air or fluidflow is restricted in the direction opposite to the direction ofrotation of the tire. Thus, the air moves in the same direction as thedirection of rotation of the tire, reducing at least some of theinternal friction. Moreover, an air restrictor may be impermeable or maybe permeable. In other words, if indicated, the air restrictor maypermit some air to pass through.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an air restrictor may be anobject 67 in the shape of a sphere, sphere-like, or any other shapedobject that prevents the flow of air. It is recognized that an airrestrictor may be square, flat, oval, accordion like, spring like,rectangular and/or any other shape. The air restrictor 67 may beinstalled within the retention collars 6, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. As indicated above, the retentioncollars 6 may be used to retain or secure air-flow restrictors 67 inplace. Although, two retention collars 6 are shown FIG. 2, it isrecognized that a single retention collar 6 may be used to retain orsecure air restrictor 67 in place. Alternatively, the air restrictorsuch as restrictor 67 may be installed without retention collars. Forexample, the air restrictor may be attached with contact cement, glue,nails. Tacks, welds and/or by any other means. In an embodiment of thepresent invention, if, for example, if a single object or air restrictorsuch as sphere 67 is used, the sphere 67 may be made from a materialthat is impermeable to air. In other words, the sphere 67 would be madefrom any material or materials that would completely restrict or blockthe flow of air through the restrictor 67. The restrictor 67 may be madefrom latex, plastic, rubber, and/or any other material and/or anycombination thereof. It is also recognized that other retention collardesigns may be used to retain or secure the air-flow restrictor.

As described above, the air restrictor 67 may be installed using one ormore retention collars 6, for example. It is recognized that theretention means may be of any shape or form. It is noted that theinstallation of the air restrictor may cause the rotation direction 3 ofair inside the tire 5 to change direction. In other words, the airrestrictor, for example, sphere 67 may cause the direction of air-flow 3inside the tire to be the same as the direction of rotation 9 of thetire 5. The flow of air in the same direction as the direction ofrotation 9 may reduce the friction inside the tire.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a second air restrictor 56may be inserted within the assembly 110, as shown in FIG. 3. The secondair-restrictor may act as a counter balance to the first air restrictor67, or vice-versa. The second air restrictor may counter balance theweight, shape and/or size of the first air restrictor. This counterbalance (e.g., the second air restrictor) may keep the tire fromvibrating, wobbling, shifting, etc. when the tire is in motion. Thesecond air restrictor 56 may be of any shape such as the double orjoined spheres 56 shown in FIG. 3. It is recognized that the second airrestrictor 56 may be square, flat, oval, accordion like, spring like,rectangular and/or any other shape. The air restrictor 56 may be mountedusing one, two, three or more retention collars 6. It is also recognizedthat the air restrictor 56 may be mounted using contact cement, glue,etc. It is recognized that a lead weight or other object may beinstalled on the tire as a counter balance to the first air restrictor.

Referring to FIG. 3, if the first air restrictor 67 is impermeable toair (i.e., may not let air pass through), then the second air restrictor56 may be permeable to air (i.e., may permit air to pass through), inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In this case,the air restrictor 56 may be made of any permeable material such as opencell foam, or the like. If two air restrictors are used, then airchambers A and B may be created within the tire 5. If one of therestrictors is permeable to air, then pressure throughout the tire maybe the same. In this case, only one air valve 52 may be needed toinflate the tire since air will be able to flow between chambers A andB. Moreover, the air in chambers A and B may help to compress and/orseal the air restrictors 56 and/or 67. Additionally or optionally, airrestrictor 56 may contain an air passage or vent holes to permit air toflow between chambers A and B.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the air restrictor 56 may beimpermeable to air. In other words, air restrictor 56 may also preventthe flow of air between chambers A and B. In this case, the airrestrictor 56 may be made from any material or materials that preventthe passage of air, for example. Optionally or additionally, air the airrestrictors may include a latex membrane 34 to stop circulation of airin the tire as shown in FIG. 3. In one embodiment, an air restrictor maysimply be a latex membrane 34 which prevents the passage or air and/orprevents the flow of air inside the tire 5. In the case, where both airrestrictors 67 and 56 do not permit the passage or air, two (2) separatechambers A and B inside tire 5 are created which need to be pressurizedseparately. In this case, in order to pressurize chambers A and B, asecond valve 52 (omitted) may be needed for chamber B.

In an embodiment of the invention, if air restrictor 56 does not permitpassage of air (i.e., if air restrictor 56 is impermeable), then airrestrictor 67 may allow air to pass through instead (i.e., airrestrictor 67 may be permeable). In this case, air restrictor 67 may bemade from open cell foam or other material that allows air to passand/or may include vent holes 63 or another type of air passage. Whereone of the air restrictors allows air to pass through, only one valve 52may be needed to pressurize the tire 5 since air will be able to flowthrough at least one of the other restrictors.

In an embodiment of the invention where two or more air chambers A and Bare created, the direction 3 of the air-flow in the chambers will be thesame as direction 9 of rotation of the tire 5.

In an embodiment of the invention, air restrictors 56 and/or 67 may beinflatable spheres and may include inflation valves 57.

Although two air restrictors 56 and 67 are shown in FIG. 3, the numberof air restrictors may vary, one air restrictor may be used or three ormore air restrictors may be used. It is recognized, if multiple airrestrictors are used, additional valves 52 may be installed topressurize the tire 5 if air cannot flow freely between one or more ofthe air chambers.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a single air restrictor suchas restrictor 67 as shown in FIG. 1 may be used to prevent the flow ofair inside a tire such as the tire 5. The air restrictor may be of anyshape and/or form. The air restrictor may fully or substantially preventair from passing through. In an embodiment of the invention, the airrestrictor may include air passages or vent holes to allow the passageof air. As described herein, the insertion of an air restrictor mayreduce or prevent the friction and/or heat generated inside the tire dueto such air-flow opposite the direction of rotation of the tire. Inaccordance with an embodiment, when air-flow inside the tire is reducedor stopped, friction and/or heat inside the tire is substantiallyreduced. This reduction in friction and/or heat inside the tire mayincrease the efficiency of the tire and save energy and it may alsoincrease the life of the tire. For example, insertion of one or more airrestrictors inside the tires of a car may increase the fuel efficiencyby 15% or more. It is recognized that the fuel efficiency may be loweror greater depending on the type, formation, weight, and/or othercharacteristics of the air-flow restrictor.

In an embodiment of the present invention, multiple air restrictors maybe installed inside a tire to prevent the flow of air inside the tire asshown in FIG. 3. For example, if multiple air-flow restrictors are used,one of the air restrictors may not allow air to pass through and theother air-flow restrictor or restrictors may allow air to pass though.In this case, a single air chamber is created inside the tire. The tirecan be inflated normally using a single nozzle or valve because a singleair chamber inside the tire is created. In one embodiment, a secondair-flow restrictor may be used to counter balance the first air-flowrestrictor inside the tire.

FIG. 4 is another view of the assembly 110 shown in FIG. 3, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows thetire 5, rim 8 and one or more retention collars 6. In addition, FIG. 4shows air restrictor 67 having vent holes 63 and air restrictor 56 withan inflation valve 57 or nozzle. As indicated above, the valves ornozzles 57 may be provided for air restrictors or the like that areinflatable. In an embodiment, the air restrictor may be a diaphragm,inflatable balloon, a foam structure, and/or any combination thereof.

FIG. 5 shows a wheel assembly 120 in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention. The assembly 120 shown in FIG. 5 may include anair restrictor for restricting the air-flow inside the tire 5. In thisembodiment, the air restrictor may be a pair of double spheres 56 whichmay be installed within retention collars 6. The spheres 56 can be madeof, for example, rubber, plastic, latex, foam, and/or any othermaterial. A poly foam strip 72 may be provided to allow inflation ofboth air chambers A and B and so that pressure in both chambers A and Bcan remain equal. The poly foam strip 72 may be attached to the tireand/or the spheres 56 using an adhesive or the like. In an embodiment ofthe present invention, one or more of the double latex spheres 56 mayinclude a blocking latex membrane 34 to stop air circulation inside thetire. It is recognized that one of the air-flow restrictors 56 maypermit the passage of air while the other air-flow restrictor maypartially, substantially or fully block the passage of air.

FIG. 6 is another view of the assembly 120 shown in FIG. 5, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows thetire 5, rim 8 and one or more retention collars 6. In addition, FIG. 6shows air restrictor 56 having inflation nozzles 57. FIG. 6 also showsthe poly foam strip 72 that allows air to flow between the two chambersA and B.

FIG. 7 shows a wheel assembly 130 in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention. The assembly 130 shown in FIG. 7 includesmultiple air restrictors inside the air cavity of the tire 5. In anembodiment, as shown, the air restrictor 56 may be a double sphere thatincludes a wedge shaped poly-foam baffle 32 that may muffle vibrationsin the double latex sphere 56. The air restrictor 56 is shown attachedwith a single retention collar or ring 6. In an embodiment of theinvention, the second air restrictor 67 may be installed in the aircavity of the tire 5, as shown. The air restrictor 67 may include an airpassage or vent holes that may permit the passage of air through airrestrictor 67 such that a single air chamber is created inside the tire5. As can be seen, in an embodiment of the present invention, airrestrictor 67 may be installed using two retention collars or rings 6.

FIG. 8 is another view of the assembly 130 shown in FIG. 7, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 shows theassembly 130 including an air restrictor including foam baffles 32 aswell as vent holes 63 in air restrictor 67. In one embodiment, thebaffles 32 may be made from, for example, foam, plastic, rubber, opencell material such as open cell foam, and/or other material.

FIG. 9 shows a detailed view of one type of an air restrictor 56 inaccordance with one embodiment. In this embodiment, the air restrictor56 includes a wedge shaped foam baffle 75 and latex bladders 76. In anembodiment of the present invention, the air restrictor 56 includes thelatex diaphragm 34 to prevent the flow of air inside the tire 5, forexample. In another embodiment, the wedge shaped foam baffle may be madefrom a foam material and the bladders may be made of latex and may beinflated with air, for example.

FIG. 10 shows a detailed view of an air restrictor 56 in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the airrestrictor 56 may be double latex spheres 56 including the latexdiaphragm 34. The air restrictor 56 may be installed in a tire toprevent air circulation in the tire, for example. FIG. 10 also shows adetailed diagram of an embodiment of a retention collars or rings 77which may be used to retain the air restrictor such as the spheres 56.In an embodiment of the present invention, the retention collars 77 maybe attached to the tire 5 using an adhesive 73 or other means. It isalso recognized that the retention collars 77 may be attached to the rim8 using an adhesive or other means. In an embodiment of the presentinvention, one, two, three or more retention collars may be installed toretain the air restrictor.

FIG. 11 shows a detailed view of an air restrictor 56 in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the airrestrictor 56 may be a double latex sphere 56 including the latexdiaphragm 34 that prevents air circulation in the tire 5, for example.The embodiment shown in FIG. 11 may include an open-cell, poly-foamstrip 72 that allows the air to pass between two chambers (e.g., chamberA and chamber B) so that the pressure inside the two chambers can beequal. In other words, a single air chamber is formed inside the tireand the tire can be inflated using one nozzle or valve. In an embodimentof the invention, the strip 72 may be attached to the inside of the tire5 and/or may be attached to the rim 8, for example. The strip 72 may beattached using an adhesive such as glue and/or any other means to attachthe strip to the tire 5 and/or rim 8.

FIG. 12 shows a detailed view of an air restrictor 67 in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention. The air restrictor 67 shown inFIG. 12 is single sphere and latex counter balance weight having airvents 63 for air pass-through for tire inflation, in accordance with anembodiment. The restrictor 67 may be made of, for example, latex andopen cell foam, rubber or other material. FIG. 12 also shows how theretention collars 6 may be used to retain the air restrictor 67. In anembodiment of the present invention, the air restrictor 67 may be alatex balloon filled with, for example, air or another gas. In anotherembodiment, the air restrictor 67 may be an open-cell foam unit coveredwith a latex cover. The latex cover may be bonded onto the open cellfoam using, for example, glue, other adhesive, or the like. The latexcover may be placed on the open-cell foam unit without an adhesive. Theair restrictor 67 may or may not include vent holes.

FIG. 13A shows a wheel assembly 140 in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention. The assembly 140 shown in FIG. 13 includes airrestrictors inside the air cavity of the tire 5. In this embodiment, theair restrictor 59 may include, for example, a pair of double spheres 59which may be installed within retention collars. In this embodiment, theair restrictor 59 may include ball shaped baffles 33 which may be madefrom foam or other material. The double spheres 59 may be separated by adiaphragm 39. The spheres 59 may be inflated with air, for example. Theembodiment shown may provide better balance and/or vibration control orsuppression inside the tire. In this case, the double spheres 59 mayinclude two (2) air valves for pre-inflation, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13B shows another view of assembly 140 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14A shows a wheel assembly 150 in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention. The assembly 150 shown in FIG. 14 includes airrestrictors inside the tire 5. In this embodiment, the air restrictor 60may include a pair of double spheres 60 which may be installed withinretention collars. The spheres 60 may include a half-round shaped foambaffle 31. The baffle 31 may be made of other material. The half-roundshaped foam baffle 31 may be separated by a diaphragm 40. The spheres 60may be inflated with air, for example. The embodiment shown in FIG. 14may provide better balance and/or vibration control or suppressioninside the tire. In this case, the double spheres 60 may include two (2)air valves for pre-inflation, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention. FIG. 14A also shows how the retention collars may beused to retain the air restrictor 96 in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 14B shows another view of assembly 150 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15A shows a wheel assembly 160 in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention. The assembly 160 shown in FIG. 15 includes airrestrictors installed inside the air cavity of the tire 5. In thisembodiment, the air restrictor may include, for example, a pair ofdouble spheres 61 which may be installed within one or more retentioncollars. The spheres 61 may include a cantaloupe shaped foam baffle 32.The baffle 32 may be made from foam or other material. The cantaloupeshaped foam baffle 32 may be separated by a diaphragm 41. The spheres 61may be inflated with air, for example. The embodiment shown in FIG. 15may provide better balance and/or vibration control or vibrationsuppression inside the tire. In this case, the double spheres 61 mayinclude two (2) air valves for pre-inflation, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. It is recognized that the baffle 32may be of a different shape (e.g., hemisphere) and/or size, for example.

FIG. 15B shows another view of assembly 160 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16A shows a wheel assembly 88 in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention. Wheel assembly 88 may include an inner tube 86that may be blocked internally by air restrictor 87, in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the airrestrictor 87 may be created by inflating the restrictor 87 with air 83or may be created by using a flexible poly-foam to block or pinch offcirculation of air in the inner tube 86. FIG. 16A also shows the forcemoment 84 created where the tire 88 makes contact with the surface ofthe road. In one embodiment of the invention, the air restrictor 87 maybe placed opposite the valve stem 80 for counterbalance. The directionof the motion 79 shows the direction the wheel 88 is moving. Therotation 89 shows the rotation of the wheel 88 and the air inside thetire 88 is moving in the same direction 81. In another embodiment of theinvention, the inner tube may be folded over and/or glued to prevent theinternal flow of air. The air-flow may be restricted inside the innertube or tire by other ways.

FIG. 16B shows another view of assembly 88 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17A shows a wheel assembly 76 in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention. As shown, the wheel 76 is moving in direction 71with a rotational direction 72. In an embodiment of the invention, anair restrictor 75 may be used to block the circulation of air within thetire 76. Once the circulation is blocked, the air would move in the samedirection 73 as the rotation of the tire 72. FIG. 17A shows thedeflection of the tire to the road surface 78 and the force moment 70 ofthe tire. In an embodiment of the present invention, air restrictor 75may be a diaphragm or the like.

In an embodiment of the invention, an air-flow restrictor 109 may beinstalled at any angle as shown. Optionally or additionally, the airrestrictor may be in the shape of an accordion such as restrictor 115.The air restrictors may be made from rubber, plastic, foam and/or othertype of material, for example. The air restrictors may be permeable orimpermeable to air. One or more of the various air restrictors shown canbe used. The air restrictors may be retro-fitted into the tire after thetire has been manufactured and/or may be built inside the tire duringthe manufacturing process.

FIG. 17B shows another view of assembly 76 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. As shown, FIG. 17B is a sidecut-out view of assembly 76, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention. FIG. 17 shows air restrictor 75. In an embodiment ofthe present invention, air restrictor 75 may include vent holes 190 toallow passage of air. In an embodiment of the present invention,assemble 76 includes air restrictor 115. The air restrictor may or maynot include vent holes (omitted).

In an embodiment, a one or more flow restrictors (such as shown in FIGS.17A and 17B) may be inserted in the cavity of a tire. In an embodiment,the air-flow restrictor may completely, substantially or partiallyrestrict the air-flow inside the tire. In an embodiment, more than oneair-flow restrictor may be added inside the tire. If more than oneair-flow restrictor is added to the tire, vent holes (e.g., vent holes190) may be added to one or more of the air-flow restrictors, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present.

In an embodiment, a diaphragm, other type of air-flow restrictor or thelike may be used for blocking the air movement inside the tire. In anembodiment, single and/or double air balloons may be used to block airinside the tire. The balloons may or may not include inflation valves ornozzles.

In an embodiment of the invention, the flow restrictor may be one ormore hollow balloons of any shape and/or made from any material. Theballoon or balloons may be located inside a tire to reduce or preventair-flow. In this embodiment, the balloon(s) or the like may bemanufactured into the tire or may be glued into place and/or otherretaining means may be used. Optionally or additionally, the one orballoons or the like may be held into place by any type of retentioncollars, columns, framing, etc. It is recognized that any type ofstructure or mechanism may be used to retain the diaphragm or flowrestrictor. In an embodiment, the structure may be attached to the tireand/or may be attached to the rim and/or wheel. The structure may beglued on, nailed on, welded on, and/or attached to the tire and/or rimusing any known means. In an embodiment, the diaphragm or flowrestrictor may be provided as an attachment to the rim or wheel.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an air-flow restrictor in theform of, for example, a balloon or diaphragm may be located in the tireor several balloons or diaphragms may be distributed in the tire. Theballoons may be pre-inflated before installation or may be inflatedafter installation. In another embodiment of the present invention, theone or more balloons or another type insertion (e.g., foam ball, hybridfoam/balloon insert, etc.) may be installed in the tire and may be ableto freely move within the tire while still reducing or preventingcirculation of air inside the tire.

In an embodiment of the present invention, an flow restrictor may be oneor more solid and/or partially hollow objects to reduce or prevent thecirculation of air inside the tire. The object may be made from foam orany other material and may be of any shape (e.g., round, oval, square,rectangular, triangular, etc.). In an embodiment, the object may be asheet, panel, etc. made from any material and/or of any shape. Theobject may be located inside a tire to reduce or prevent air-flow insidethe tire.

In an embodiment of the invention, an air-flow restrictor such as adiaphragm, single or multiple spheres or the like may be manufacturedinto the tire or may be glued into place. Optionally or additionally,the air-flow restrictors may be held into place by any type of retentioncollars, rings or columns. It is recognized that any type of structureor mechanism may be used to retain the air-flow restrictors. In anembodiment of the present invention, a single object may be located inthe tire or several objects may be distributed in the tire.

In an embodiment of the invention, if the flow restrictors such as theballoons contain air, they may be pre-inflated before installation ormay be inflated after installation. In an embodiment of the invention,one or more air-flow restrictors may be installed in the tire and may beable to freely move within the tire while still reducing or preventingcirculation of air inside the tire.

It is recognized that in an embodiment, the air-flow restrictor such asthe diaphragm, spheres, etc. may be built into the tire during therubber manufacturing process. In an embodiment, the flow restrictor,diaphragm, etc. may be glued, welded, tacked and/or other wise attachedto the tire. In an embodiment, the air-flow restrictor, diaphragm, etc.may be attached to the wheel and/or rim. In an embodiment, an attachmentfor the tire rim may be provided. In an embodiment, an air-flowrestrictor or diaphragm may be built into the rim and/or wheel when itis manufactured or may be attached later. It may be attached via, forexample, nails, staples, tacks, weld, glue and/or other means.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the air-flow restrictors asdescribed herein may be available as a kit which may be retrofitted ontoan existing tire. The kits may include, for example, one or moreair-flow restrictors, one or more retention collars, an adhesive orother means for attachment, and/or any other material to install theair-flow restrictor, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

An embodiment of the present invention may completely restrict air-flowinside a tire. This restriction of the air-flow may significantly reducethe friction inside the tire and may increase the fuel efficiency of thevehicle on which the tire is installed.

In an embodiment of the invention, an air-flow restrictor may be made ofa flexible material and may be positioned inside an inflatable tire toreduce or prevent air-flow.

In an embodiment of the invention, an air-flow restrictor may be used toblock air movement. In one embodiment, a diaphragm, or a single ordouble air balloons having valves may be used as air-flow restrictors.If balloons or objects containing air are used, these may bepre-inflated before installation or inflated after installation. In anembodiment of the present invention, a tire may include at least twoforms of air-flow restrictors. In this case, one of the air-flowrestrictors may be permeable to fluids such as air, while the otherair-flow restrictor may be impermeable to fluids, such as air. In thismanner, one of the air-flow restrictors may block the flow of air withinthe tire while the other air-flow restrictor does not. In an embodimentof the present invention, only one diaphragm may be installed inside atire.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the air-flow restrictor suchas a diaphragm or the like may be made from, for example, latex,plastic, or other material. Optionally, it may be made from, forexample, open cell foam or the like. An air-flow restrictor made fromopen cell foam, for example, may be permeable and may permit the passageof fluids such as air.

In an embodiment of the invention, a single or multiple air-flowrestrictors may be included inside a tire to stop air-flow inside thetire. For example, they may be distributed throughout the tire and/ormay be used as counter balance units. The air-flow restrictors may be asingle or double units, as described herein.

In an embodiment of the invention, one or more air-flow restrictors maybe made from permeable material such as open cell foam or may includepassages or vent holes to permit the passage of air. Such air-flowrestrictors when installed may permit air to pass through and maintainequal pressure inside the tire. In one embodiment, if for example, twoair-flow restrictors are installed and if one of the air-flowrestrictors allows air to pass through, then a single air chamber insidethe tire may be created. Since one of the air-flow restrictors does notpermit passage of air, the air may not flow counter to the direction oftire rotation.. In this case, a single valve may only be needed toinflate the tire since all but one of the air-flow restrictors maypermit the passage of air inside of the tire. If multiple air flowrestrictors that do not permit the passage of air are used, thenadditional valves may be added to inflate the tire.

In an embodiment of the present invention, if multiple air-flowrestrictors that do not permit the passage of air are installed, thenmultiple chambers may be created in the tire. In such a case, eachchamber may need its own inflation valve so that the chamber can beinflated separately.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a pressure monitoring devicemay be incorporated within one or more chambers of the tire to monitorthe pressure in each chamber and/or to generate an alert if there isdiscrepancy and/or low or high pressure in one or more chambers. Thealert may be presented to an operator of the vehicle or a remoteoperator through a remote monitoring device.

In an embodiment of the invention, a diaphragm or other type of air-flowrestrictor may be made of or may include Lycra®, Teflon, nylon, or othersynthetic or other type of materials for additional strength and/ordurability. For example, netting made from Lycra®, Teflon, nylon, orother synthetic type of material may be used and/or placed around the adiaphragm or other type of air-flow restrictor for extra strength anddurability. In an embodiment, additionally or optionally, foam or a foamtype material may be inserted inside the tire. Foam or similar materialmay be spread throughout the tire to prevent air-flow and reducefriction inside the tire, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

In an embodiment of the invention, a diaphragm or other type of air-flowrestrictor may reduce friction inside the tire. In an embodiment, one ormore diaphragms or air-flow restrictors may create a fly-wheel effectthat may store energy. In one example, a diaphragm or other type ofair-flow restrictor in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention may be very light (e.g., 8 oz. or less, or may be more than 8oz.). It is recognized that if the air restrictor is like the airrestrictor shown in, for example, FIGS. 17A and 17B, it may be lighter.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the air-flow restrictorsinstalled in one or more tires may be of varying weights. For example,some of the air-flow restrictors may be of one weight and/or otherair-flow restrictors may be heavier or lighter. Air-flow restrictorsinstalled in different tires may also vary in weight. For example,air-flow restrictors installed in front tires may be heavier or lighterthan the air-flow restrictors installed in rear wheels of a vehicle.

In an embodiment of the invention, one or more diaphragms or other typeof air-flow restrictors may be included inside the tire to stop air-flowor circulation inside the tire. The one or more diaphragms or air-flowrestrictors may be fully, partially or substantially filled with air. Inan embodiment, the one or more diaphragms or air-flow restrictors may bemade from foam or other material. It is recognized that the one or morediaphragms or air-flow restrictors may be fully, partially orsubstantially filled with air and other one or more diaphragms orair-flow restrictors, located in the same tire, may be solid (e.g., madeform foam or other material).

In an embodiment of the invention, a baffle (e.g., foam ball 33 and/or31) may be included for reduced vibration.

In an embodiment of the invention, a counterbalance sphere or diaphragmmay be installed in addition to the air restrictor diaphragms. Thecounter balance may be installed to balance out the tires. It isrecognized that additional wheel balancing may be needed to balance outthe tires. This additional wheel balancing may be provided by externalweights, internal weights,, and/or other counter balances of differentshapes, weights and/or sizes.

In an embodiment of the invention, an air chamber and/or vent holes maybe provided in, for example, the counterbalance spheres or diaphragms sothat air may be provided via a single stem and the pressure throughoutthe tire can be equal. In an embodiment, no air chamber and/or ventholes may be provided. In this case, additional air stems may beprovided to add air in the tire and/or to make air pressure inside thetire equal throughout the tire. In an embodiment, sensors may be placedinside the tire to monitor the air pressure in, for example, the variouschambers that may be created by using the air restrictor, counterbalance, etc.

An embodiment of the present invention may extend the life of the tireand/or provide additional and/or extend mileage. An embodiment mayextend life of the tire because of reduced friction and/or reduced heatgenerated. An embodiment of the present invention may provide fasteracceleration and/or increased top speed due to for example a fly wheeleffect.

Any embodiment of the present invention may reduce overall fuelconsumption of the vehicle including tires as described herein. Forexample, overall fuel consumption may be reduced by 20%-30% or more. Insome cases, the overall fuel consumption may be reduced less than 20%.An embodiment of the present may provide increased fuel efficiency ofall types of vehicles or the like. An embodiment of the presentinvention may increase miles-per-gallon ratings for vehicles. Thevehicles may include cars, trucks (e.g., 18 wheelers, etc), buses, vans,bicycles, motorcycles, go-carts, military vehicles, airplanes or othertypes of transportation and/or recreational vehicles or the like. Anembodiment of the present invention may find application within any typeof inflatable tire and/or any type of vehicle or device.

It is recognized that, in a vehicle having an air filled tire all oronly a few of the tires may include the air restrictor(s) ordiaphragm(s), in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.For example, in a car, only the front two or rear two tires may beequipped with the diaphragm(s), as described herein, in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention. In another example, only one ofthe front tires and/or only one of the rear tires may be equipped withthe diaphragm(s), as described herein, in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention. Likewise, less than all the tires of a truck,bike, motorcycle, etc. may be equipped with the air restrictor(s) ordiaphragm(s), as described herein, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention.

Retaining collars or structure for the one or more diaphragms orair-flow restrictors used may be open cell foam retaining collars, forexample.

In an embodiment of the invention, an air-flow restrictor or diaphragmmay be provided that may install or activate automatically and/or at therequest of a user. For example, the flow restrictor or diaphragm mayeject out from the rim, wheel and/or tire when the tire and/or vehiclereaches a predetermined speed and/or based on a request from the driveror user. The flow restrictor or diaphragm may retract when the tire orvehicle is below a certain speed, for example, or based on a requestfrom a driver or user.

Several embodiments of the present invention are specificallyillustrated and/or described herein. However, it will be appreciatedthat modifications and variations of the present invention are coveredby the above teachings without departing from the spirit and intendedscope of the invention.

1. A tubeless tire comprising: a circumferential inflatable tire cavity;means for blocking air flow in a circumferential direction of the tirecavity into a chamber, wherein the means is inflatable and is positionedin the tire cavity; and means for partially restricting air-flow in thetire cavity, wherein the chamber exists between the means for partiallyrestricting air-flow and the means for blocking air flow and wherein themeans for partially restricting air-flow comprises means for permittingair flow into the chamber.
 2. The tire of claim 1, wherein the means forpartially restricting air-flow is positioned on an opposite side of themeans for blocking air, in the cavity of the tire.
 3. The tire of claim1, wherein the means for partially restricting air-flow is inflatable.4. The tire of claim 1, wherein the means for partially restrictingair-flow comprises open cell foam.
 5. The tire of claim 1, wherein themeans for permitting air flow comprises open cell foam to permit airflow through the means for partially restricting air-flow into thechamber.
 6. The tire of claim 1, wherein the means for permitting airflow comprises one or more vent holes to permit air flow through themeans for partially restricting air-flow into the chamber.
 7. The tireof claim 1, further comprising: means for retaining positioned in thecavity of the tire, wherein the means for retaining retains the meansfor blocking air or the means for partially restricting air-flow in thecavity of the tire.
 8. The tire of claim 7, wherein the means forretaining is attached to the tire.
 9. The tire of claim 5, wherein awheel rim closes the tire cavity and the retaining structure is attachedto the wheel rim.
 10. The tire of claim 1, wherein the means forblocking air comprises one or more of plastic, foam, rubber and latex.11. The tire of claim 1, wherein the means for partially restrictingair-flow comprises one or more of plastic, foam, rubber and latex. 12.The tire of claim 1, wherein the means for partially restrictingair-flow counterbalances the means for blocking air.